by Hiro Ainana
Meanwhile, my companions finished off the skeleton pirates with ease.
SHWNESHWNEEEE!
I heard the mynah-like cry again.
“Master, her shadow!” Arisa exclaimed.
Turning off the “Miasma Vision” in my left eye, I glanced at Yuuneia’s shadow, but I didn’t see anything.
Wait—a bird.
The shadow of a bird was sitting on her shadow’s shoulder.
There was nothing on her real shoulder, so it must have been some kind of shadow monster.
I tried stomping on the bird’s shadow as hard as I could, but it simply flew away unharmed.
“Behind you!”
“
Arisa’s shout and Rei’s scream rang out at the same time.
Whirling around, I saw a shadow stalker emerging from Rei’s shadow.
At the same time, she returned from her trancelike state to her normal self.
“Take this!”
Lulu fired at it with her Magic Gun.
It seemed to be weaker than the shadow stalkers the Undead King Zen used, disappearing after only a few shots.
SHWNESHWNEEE!
The mynah bird’s cry echoed, and the shadows at my and Rei’s feet turned into a dark pool. This must be Shadow Portal, the same spell Zen used to kidnap Mia.
But this time, it didn’t feel like my feet were sinking in all the way.
“Don’t expect to get away with using space manipulation in front of a Space Magic user like me!”
Arisa grinned, her arm stretched out toward Rei and me.
She’d used her Space Magic to block the Shadow Portal.
But there were still some shadow tentacles left…
“There!”
“Take this, sir!”
Lulu shot down a tentacle that tried to grab Rei, and Pochi sped in to stab the vortex of shadows with her Magic Sword.
The shadows shrank back, the tentacles freezing in place.
“Dun-dun-duuun!”
Tama sliced through the shadow tentacle that had grabbed Rei’s leg.
“We will never surrender the larva, I declare.”
Once Rei was freed, Nana lifted her up.
Then, finally…
“No mere shadows can stand up against the Magic Spear master gave me.”
Using “Spellblade,” Liza used her glittering Magic Spear to destroy the shadows.
Pushing away the sudden urge to brag to someone about my companions’ growth, I finished off the wriggling remains of the shadows with Break Magic and turned my attention back to Yuuneia.
I’d gotten rid of about half of the miasma; possibly as a result, one of her inverted eyes had returned to a normal blue.
I reactivated my “Miasma Vision” and moved to resume unraveling the miasma.
“
Yuuneia struggled desperately to escape Magic Hand, but it wasn’t so easy to shake off.
“
Realizing this, Yuuneia cried out for help.
SHWNESHWNEEE!
As if on cue, the mynah bird’s call echoed again.
But the bird wasn’t the only one waiting for that chance.
Stepping away from Yuuneia, I found the red point of light that had appeared for just a moment and punched it as hard as I could.
GHWEGHWEEE.
“
Yuuneia gave a worried cry when she heard the bird’s scream.
“
I didn’t see anything, but it did feel like my hand had hit something.
Shadowy feathers flew everywhere, and something appeared in my log:
> Defeated Ghost Bird: Copy!
Shoot, so it has the same kind of ability as that lesser hell demon I fought in the Muno Barony?
“
Not realizing that what I’d beaten was only a copy, Yuuneia struggled even more fiercely than before.
SHWNESHWNEEE!
“
Yuuneia’s face lit up when she heard the ghost bird’s cry echoing from somewhere.
SHWNESHWNEEE!
This time, there were seven different red lights around me.
They all attacked at once, so I got ready to fend them off with the rest of my party.
“Master, she’s gone!” Arisa exclaimed.
By the time I turned around, Yuuneia had already vanished, and her location in my marker information screen read Spirit World.
She must have escaped from Magic Hand somehow while I was distracted.
“
Yuuneia’s voice seemed to come from nowhere.
I switched to “Miasma Vision” and looked around.
“
That was a strange thing to call me, but I decided to ignore it for now.
Aha.
Spotting an area of miasma that was moving a little, I shot out my hand.
“
The wormhole to the Spirit World expanded around my hand, and Yuuneia let forth a fearful cry.
For some reason, I was starting to feel like the villain here.
A little disheartened, I nonetheless began to widen the fragile entrance.
“
SHWNESHWNEEE!
The bird let out a cry, and a few decomposing corpses emerged from the wormhole.
“Ew!”
The sight and smell made me instinctively draw back, and the entrance to the Spirit World closed, leaving behind the terrible corpses—reanimated undead monsters.
“Larva! Master, the larva has fainted, I report. Requesting assistance!”
Turning around, I saw Nana holding Rei, who’d lost consciousness.
Her condition read Fainted, and with “Miasma Vision,” I could see that a snakelike trail of miasma was wrapping around her leg.
The miasma carried by the undead monsters must have attacked her.
“Tama, Pochi, take care of that thing.”
“Aye-aye, sirrr!”
“Leave it to us, sir!”
The beastfolk girls took care of the monsters while I started working to remove the miasma from Rei.
By the time I finished, the beastfolk girls had defeated all the undead, leaving behind countless bones and rotted meat.
“Hey, you! What’s the meaning of this?!”
The sound of hooves clattered through the street, announcing the arrival of the viceroy’s army of Sutoandell.
Uh-oh. How am I going to explain this?
“Sir Pendragon, we simply cannot thank you enough.”
I thought I was being apprehended at the viceroy’s mansion, but instead I was given a royal welcome by the viceroy himself.
My companions weren’t with me, but they were being well cared for in a separate room.
“I had no idea that you were the viceroy of Sutoandell, Viscount Emerin.”
I’d first befriended Viscount Kirk Emerin, a high-ranking noble of the old capital, when he came to me on the brink of ruin, asking if I could develop some cooking methods to popularize the unsellable lulu fruit.
The reason the viscount had been so close to bankruptcy was the destruction of Baron Jeetbert’s fleet, but far from being resentful, he was simply overjoyed that some of his vassals and friends had survived.
“Indeed. Traditionally, I would have a while longer to wait before becoming a viceroy, but certain circumstances sped things along a bit.”
Oh, right. The previous viceroy of Sutoandell, Count Bobino, had been removed from his post because the former head of his family turned out to be supporting the demon lord–worshipping cult the Wings of Freedom.
“At any rate, Sir Pendragon, you need not stand on ceremony so. I believe I told you that you may simply call me Kirk.”
Why are you ca
lling me Sir Pendragon instead of just Satou, then? I thought, but I supposed that was simply his nature.
“You saved my vassals from being stranded on a remote island. I owe you a great debt.”
“Precisely! When Sir Pendragon appeared sailing our ship that had run aground, we thought an agent of the gods had come to us.”
Sitting next to Viscount Emerin was Baron Jeetbert.
Several members of the viscount’s family were present as well, although his second daughter, Rina, who I’d danced with at the ball in the old capital, was not among them.
I was told that she was traveling back to the Muno Barony with Miss Karina to study as a lady’s attendant.
That seemed like a pretty big deal, since she was only around middle school age.
Still, if she wanted to become an attendant, why was she studying in the faraway Muno Barony instead of the Ougoch Duchy castle?
Well, she was a young teenager, so maybe she wanted to prove that she could get by on her own far away from her parents. Next time I sent a letter to the Muno Barony, I would have to write to her as well. And Miss Karina, of course.
There was a knock at the door, and a servant peered inside.
“Your Excellency, Baron Jeetbert’s family has arrived.”
At that, the baron half rose from his seat, looking eager.
“Is that right? Baron Jeetbert, don’t feel obliged to stay. You may go and see them.”
“I appreciate your kindness, Your Excellency.”
With a bow to Viscount Emerin and me, Baron Jeetbert hurried out of the room.
Soon, my “Keen Hearing” skill picked up on his reunion with his family.
Yeah. It feels good to help people.
“Lord Kirk, I believe this is yours.”
“Th-this is the Magic Bag I entrusted to the crew!” Viscount Emerin exclaimed in surprise.
“I found it when we discovered the sunken ships. At first I thought I should give it to Baron Jeetbert, but the contents seemed incredibly valuable, so I wanted to deliver it to you directly.”
Peering into the bag, the viscount was at a loss for words.
It didn’t contain much in the way of gold or silver coins, but there was a great deal of sculpted coral and delicate magical handicrafts, as well as large, high-quality gems like jade and agate and an amazing amount of raw ore containing more gemstones.
Though Baron Jeetbert hadn’t noticed, I’d also removed the ballast from that ship and replaced it with as many Magic Cannons as I could fit. I wasn’t able to fit extra Magic Furnaces, though.
“Wh-why, Sir Pendragon…?”
Huh? I’d expected him to be happy, but his reaction was a little strange.
“With all this treasure, you could buy yourself an honorary baron title or even a permanent one! Why would you give this to me without asking for any reward in exchange?”
“Well, it belongs to you, doesn’t it?”
When you find something lost, you return it to the owner.
Any Japanese person would tell you that.
“What are you saying? Anything found in monster territory, be it from a sunken ship or flotsam and jetsam, belongs to the person who finds it. Piracy is another story, but in this case, these treasures belong to you by rights.”
I see. So it works the same way as items found in a labyrinth.
But pocketing something knowing full well it belonged to someone I knew just wouldn’t sit right with me.
“All right. Let me explain, then.”
“Explain what?”
So I decided to put my “Fabrication” skill to work.
“I did not mention this because I thought you might find it hard to believe, but these bags and sunken treasures were given to me by the ghosts of the captains who passed away in the Seadragon Islands.”
“Wh-what?!”
I told him that we had been lost in the Seadragon Islands when the ghosts appeared, guided us to safety, and asked us to rescue the baron and his men and bring them and these items to Viscount Emerin.
With that story, I figured even Viscount Emerin would have to accept the items.
“Incredible! Such loyal vassals they were…”
“Quite so. Once I promised to carry out their wishes, they seemed to be able to pass on peacefully.”
That didn’t actually happen per se, but I did purify that whole area, so it probably wasn’t wrong.
For a few moments, Viscount Emerin closed his eyes tearfully to pray silently for his lost vassals. Then he opened his eyes again and looked at me.
“Thank you for bringing these to me. What can I ever do to repay you?”
“Well, I do have one rather impudent request…”
If I didn’t say something, I was afraid I’d get dragged into marriage talks and have to find a way out of it, so I asked for permits to buy and sell scrolls and spell books in Sutoandell.
I didn’t really care about selling them, but just permission to buy them didn’t seem like enough of a reward, so I tried to make it sound like a bigger deal.
“Are you sure that is all you desire? If you wished it, I would be more than happy to even welcome you into my family…”
That was close.
If I remembered right, his eldest daughter was already engaged, so he probably would’ve tried to set me up with Miss Rina.
Rina was a good kid, but she was barely old enough to be in middle school, so she was definitely too young for me. Besides, I had feelings for someone else now.
“If you intend to travel to Labyrinth City, I imagine you will pass through the trade city Tartumina on your land route. Perhaps I can give you some items that are likely to turn a large profit there.”
As it turned out, Viscount Emerin wasn’t done rewarding me yet.
That night, he held a ball in honor of Baron Jeetbert and me.
Viscount Emerin introduced me as a “new friend,” so at first I was surrounded by eligible young women and nobles with unmarried daughters, but Rina’s older sister helped me escape.
But then…
“What an exquisite aroma! Whatever could it be?”
“It resembles the freshness of new leaves but with a faint trace of sweetness. How delightful.”
This time, she and her friends surrounded me instead.
They seemed to like the cologne I’d received as a parting gift from the brownies.
“I have never seen this particular fabric before, either.”
“It has the luster of jade silk, but it’s not quite the same… It’s almost like the legendary fairy silk.”
The fairly plain-looking young noblewoman’s guess was correct. Her face was a little too close for comfort, though.
“The way it gives off a jade-green shimmer when it catches the chandelier light is so beautiful.”
“Indeed. Perhaps I shall ask you for a dance?”
“If you wish, milady…”
I agreed to Rina’s elder sister’s request and wound up dancing with her and her friends.
Once I’d humored all of the rather young women, they finally released me.
“How would you like to try some spirits from the Saga Empire?”
“Certainly, thank you.”
As if waiting for his chance, a Saga Empire merchant jumped me as soon as I left the dance floor.
I used this as my opportunity to start chatting with the nobles of Sutoandell, captains of foreign merchant ships, and other guests.
I didn’t gain any new information about Lalakie, but I did learn more about the Kingdom of Sorcery Lalagi, where the descendants of the skyfolk might reside.
“The king there can’t get enough liquor.”
“Yes, he even invented titles to give people for offering him rare drinks, like Liquor Baron and Liquor Knight.”
According to this man, a liquor baron was considered the same rank as other barons in Lalagi, while a liquor knight was a low-ranking form of nobility.
Even nobles from other countries often sought t
hese titles. The reason being…
“The only real responsibility is to give rare liquor to the king if you happen to find it, and being a liquor baron is useful for trade.”
Basically, the title came with certain trading permissions and privileges.
I also spoke with a weaselman captain and a Saga Empire captain, who gave me information about certain sea routes, rare recipes, and special products that turned a high profit in some places.
However, apparently, they weren’t just sharing that information out of kindness…
“The route to the Bolenan Forest?”
“I-indeed. I know it is a secret, but even a hint would be appreciated.”
“Is it true that you get there through the Seadragon Islands?”
The captains seemed to want to trade with the elves in Bolenan Forest.
“I wasn’t especially told to keep it a secret, but I was teleported out via the elves’ special techniques, so I’m afraid I don’t know the route back to the Bolenan Forest.”
The pair had gotten excited when I said I could tell them a land route, but they lost interest as soon as they heard “cross the Black Dragon Mountains.”
I still felt like I owed them something for all that information, so I decided to give them a few small casks of fairy wine and dried yellorange fruit before I left the harbor.
As for the viceroy’s soldiers who took care of the aftermath of the battle for us, I sent them a few barrels of high-quality ale and delivery from a high-class restaurant.
“Get outta here, kid.”
As soon as I set foot in the tavern where most of the visiting sailors reportedly gathered, I was met with this corny line. It came from a suntanned sailor near the entrance.
I was here to gather information: I wanted to ask the sailors about Lalakie and its successor, Lalagi.
I’d gotten most of the details from Baron Jeetbert, his men, and the captains at the ball, but I thought people who had just come back from that area might have different information.
“Noble or not, no brats allowed here.”
“This is where we men of the sea come to take a load off.”
More sailors jeered at me from farther into the tavern.
“Do I not look like a sailor?”
I was wearing a shirt and trousers instead of my usual noble garb, but I guess I still looked like a noble to them.